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We know that we can mix different colors, but why is this true? What property is giving rise to it? I was thinking it to be superposition of light but I realized that it can't be true as that indicates that the new color should be sum of the other two colors (e.g. orange = red + yellow), in which case its frequency should be in the ultraviolet range (which is not thecase).

auden
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Shamina
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    This is actually a question about the biological perception of color. Colors themselves, i.e. the wavelengths of light don't mix, we just perceive them differently in different combinations. The best example is that what we see as 'violet' doesn't actually correspond to any wavelength of light. Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision, also: http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/1C.html – DilithiumMatrix Dec 18 '16 at 18:00
  • This question is answered: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/3883/what-gives-things-their-colour – DilithiumMatrix Dec 18 '16 at 18:03
  • @DilithiumMatrix -- You are confusing violet with purple. Violet is a band on the spectrum; it's between blue and ultraviolet. Purple is not a spectral color. It, along with magenta and rose, are on the so-called line of purples. The only spectral colors on the line of purples are the two endpoints, violet and red. – David Hammen Dec 19 '16 at 02:19
  • @DavidHammen damn, yes - absolutely. I meant magenta! – DilithiumMatrix Dec 19 '16 at 02:39
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is about biology instead of physics. – DilithiumMatrix Dec 19 '16 at 02:40

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